Mixed water delivery unit with improved delivery control

ABSTRACT

A mixed water delivery unit ( 1 ) comprising a hot and cold water mixer ( 2 ), a spout ( 3 ) for the distribution of mixed water, and a handle ( 4 ) for operating said mixer ( 2 ), that can be grasped by the user&#39;s hand and connected to a pin ( 8 ) which protrudes from said mixer ( 2 ) and which is mechanically connected to the mixing members found inside said mixer ( 2 ). The handle ( 4 ) is connected to said pin ( 8 ) through a gear ( 9 ).

The invention is about a mixed water delivery unit with improveddelivery control, especially fit to be employed in sanitary waterdelivery apparatuses.

It is well known that mixed water delivery units basically consist of amixer equipped with hot and cold water inlet ways coming from thedistribution network, with at least one mixed water outlet way connectedto a spout and with a projecting pin, associated to internal mixingdevices, connected to an operative handle available to the user.

Such previously described embodiment of the state of the art deliveryunits, has the inconvenience that the direct connection between thehandle and the projecting pin makes the operation not very sensitive andtherefore a fine delivery adjustment becomes very difficult.

Furthermore in order to assemble the delivery unit in the state of theart embodiments, first the mixer's ways are connected to the terminalsof the distribution network and of the delivery device which are builtin the wall and thus, once the connection has been carried out,everything is sealed with mortar and the plastering or some other coatis applied.

Once the assembly is completed, the mixer's part that houses the mixingmembers together with the corresponding pin to which the handle isapplied protrudes from the wall.

Those previously described spouts available on the market, have theproblem that in the case of a needed substitution of the whole deliveryunit or even just the mixer, it is necessary to demolish the wall at theembedding point.

In addition, after the substitution, the recess made in the wall must besealed with mortar and the plastering or coating must be applied allover again.

It is obvious that such operation forces the user to meet the frequentlyexcessive expenses, taking into consideration the high labor costscharged by the field's technicians.

Furthermore the user must also cope with the hassles caused by theexecution of wall demolition operations inside an apartment.

The present invention's object is that of remedying to saidinconveniences.

More specifically, a first object of the invention is that of making amixed water delivery unit which allows adjusting the delivery withgreater sensibility.

Another object of the invention is to provide a delivery unit that canbe removed and replaced without having to touch the wall structures.

A further object consists in making the delivery unit assembly easierand faster than matching state of the art delivery units.

The abovementioned objects are accomplished by a mixed water deliveryunit which, according to the main claim, comprises the following:

-   -   a mixer having a first hot water inlet way, a second cold water        inlet way and a third mixed water outlet way;    -   a spout for the distribution of said mixed water;    -   a first fitting pipe which connects said first inlet way with a        hot water feeding pipe;    -   a second fitting pipe which connects said second inlet way with        a cold water feeding pipe;    -   a third fitting pipe which connects said third outlet way with a        pipe connected to said delivery device;    -   a handle for operating said mixer, that can be grasped by the        user's hand and connected to a pin which protrudes from said        mixer and which is mechanically connected to the mixing members        found inside said mixer, and that is also characterized in that        said handle is connected to said pin through at least one gear,        said at least one gear comprising a bevel gear pair consisting        of a first conical toothing pinion keyed fixed to the pin of        said mixer which meshes with a second conical toothing pinion        having a pivot pin which is connected to the handle and        supported by a bearing element.

According to a preferred embodiment described hereafter, the gearcomprises a bevel gear pair made of a first conical toothing pinioncoupled to said mixer's pin which meshes with a second conical toothingpinion having the pivot pin coupled to the handle.

The gear, the mixer and possibly the spout as well, are supported by asingle flange from which the handle for the mixer's operation protrudes.

The flange is removably applied for closing a recess made out of abearing structure wherein the gear, the mixer and the fitting pipes arebuilt in.

The fitting pipes which connect the mixer to the hot and cold watersupply network and to the pipe feeding the delivery device are hoses.

In a further embodiment, the flange is removably applied to the openingof a box that houses the gear, the mixer and the fitting pipes and whichis also inserted into the recess made out of the bearing structure.

Advantageously, the presence of the gear makes the adjustment moresensible.

Yet more advantageously, the use of the flange which supports the gear,the mixer and the fitting pipes makes the delivery unit disassemblyeasier because it is no longer necessary to carry out wall demolitions.

Said advantages and objects are achieved thanks to a mixed waterdelivery unit which is described with reference to the annexed drawingsheets, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the application of the invention'sdelivery unit;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of part of the delivery unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the part of the delivery unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the part of the delivery unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged isometric view of the part of the delivery unit ofFIG. 2 during the assembly;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged isometric view of the part of the delivery unit ofFIG. 2 in an operative embodiment during the assembly;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged isometric view of a further operative embodimentof the invention's delivery unit during the assembly; and

FIG. 8 shows an installation variation of an embodiment of theinvention's delivery unit.

The invention's delivery unit is represented by one of its embodimentsas shown in FIG. 1 where it is generally indicated with the number 1.

It must be noticed that the delivery unit essentially comprises a hotand cold water mixer 2, a mixed water spout 3 hydraulically connected tothe mixer 2, and an operative handle 4 for controlling the delivery.

It is obvious that the spout 3, in this case represented by a showerhead, can be of any type, size or shape.

More particularly, it can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 4 that in the mixer 2there are: a first hot water inlet way 5, a second cold water inlet way6, a third mixed water outlet way 7 and a pin 8 which protrudes from thebody of the mixer 2. The pin 8 is mechanically connected to the mixingmembers found inside of the mixer, and a handle 4 is connected to suchpin.

It must be specified that the mixer 2 is itself a state of the artcomponent available on the market which, however made of differentshapes and sizes, is used by all delivery units of the known kind.

In the specific described case, the mixer has a pin 8 which is maderotate around the longitudinal axis X through the handle 4.

With reference to the abovementioned figures, it is described that thefirst inlet way 5 and the second inlet way 6 are connected through afirst fitting pipe 5 a and a second fitting pipe 6 a respectively to ahot water feeding pipe 5 b and to a cold water feeding pipe 6 b whichbelong to the distribution network of the hydraulic plant. In a similarmanner, the third mixed water outlet way 7 is connected through afitting pipe 7 a to a pipe 7 b connected to the spout 3.

According to the invention, the operative handle 4 is connected to thepin 8 of the mixer 2 through at least one gear 9.

The presence of the gear 9 transmits rotation of the handle 4 to the pin8 with a gear ratio variable with respect to the number of teeth of thegearwheels which make up the gear 9.

This facilitates a greater delivery control, which is more precise whenthe gear ratio stepping-down towards the pin 8 is greater.

More particularly, it is described in FIGS. 2 to 4 that the gear 9comprises a bevel gear pair consisting of a first conical toothingpinion 10 keyed to the pin 8 which meshes with a second conical toothingpinion 11 having a pivot pin 12 mechanically connected to the handle 4and supported by a bearing element 13 connected to the mixer 2.

More specifically, the handle 4 is connected to the pin 12 of the secondconical gear 11 through a shaped connecting rod 14 which has a throughhole 14 a coupling to the pin 12 and to an appendix 14 b that is joinedto the handle 4 through a screw 15.

It is obvious that in a different embodiment the handle 4 and theconnecting rod 14 can form a single body and can take up any shape orsize.

It is described again in said FIGS. 2 to 4 that the mixer 2, the gear 9and the bearing element 13 are connected to a flange 16 wherein a slit17 is made through which the appendix 14 b of the connecting rod 14protrudes as well as the appendix 4 a of the handle 4 whereon saidflange is applied.

The bearing flange 16, as shown in FIG. 5, is arranged for closing arecess 18 made out of a bearing structure 19, which houses a built inmixer 2 and the fitting pipes 5 a, 6 a, 7 a, the gear 9 and the bearingelement 13.

The bearing flange 16 is applied for closing the recess 18 throughremovable connecting means which comprise screws 20, each one of them isarranged as a passing through hole 21 made in the bearing flange 16 andit is housed in a matching nut screw 22 found in the recess 18.

It must be specified that such nut screws 22 can be installed inside therecess 18 during its operation.

According to an operative embodiment that is described in FIG. 6, thedelivery unit 1 comprises also a box 23, slidably insertable into therecess 18, wherein the mixer 2, the fitting pipes 5 a, 6 a, 7 a, thegear 9 and the bearing element 13 are housed when the bearing flange 16is arranged for closing the box 23.

A further operative embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 7 and differs fromthe previously described embodiments because the bearing flange 16supports also the spout 3 which gets fixed to it.

It is clear that such operative embodiment with the spout 3 applied tothe flange 16 can provide that the flange were arranged either forclosing the box 23 as described in FIG. 7, or for directly closing therecess 18.

In the case wherein the spout 3 belongs to the bearing flange 16, anassembly embodiment could be, as an example, that shown in FIG. 8.

Based on what has been previously described it seems clear that theinvention's delivery unit, in all the presented embodiments,accomplishes the pre-established objects.

As a matter of fact, after having made the recess 18 into the bearingstructure 19, it is enough to link the pipes which connect the mixer 2to the distribution network and to the spout 3 and thus applying thebearing flange 16 directly to the recess 18 or to a box 23, in this casebefore the insertion of the latter into the recess 18.

Based on what has been described so far, it is thus clear that theinvention's spout achieves the pre-established objects.

More specifically, the presence of the gear 9 makes the adjustment moreprecise because the rotation of the pin 8 which controls the mixer 2 ismore easily controllable through the movement of the handle 4.

Furthermore, varying in a proper manner the gear ratio and hence thediameters of the bevel gears 10 and 11 meshed with one another that makeup the gear 9, it is possible to vary the gear ratio and therefore theratio between the movement of the handle and the angular rotation of theprotruding shaft 8 of the mixer 2. In other words, it is possible tolink in different ways the extent of the operative handle's movement andthe delivery's opening.

Furthermore, the presence of the supporting hanger 16 whereon the mixer2, the gear 9 and the support 13 are applied, makes the disassembly andthe replacement of the delivery unit quicker and less expensive comparedto the traditional spouts. As a matter of fact, after the bearing flange16 has been removed from either the recess 18 or the corresponding box23, it is enough to disconnect the flexible pipes in order to carry outthe replacement.

Obviously, as previously said, the spout 3 can be of any kind or shape.

In the operative phase, embodiments fit to make both the assembly andthe building easier can be applied to the invention's delivery unit.

When said operative embodiments that have not been described orillustrated in the annexed drawings fall within the scope of protectionof the following claims, they should be covered by the present patent.

1. A mixed water delivery unit comprising: a mixer having a first hotwater inlet way, a second cold water inlet way, a third mixed wateroutlet way; a spout for the distribution of said mixed water; a firstfitting pipe which connects said first way to a hot water feeding pipe;a second fitting pipe which connects said second way to a cold waterfeeding pipe; a third fitting pipe which connects said third way a to apipe connected to said spout; a handle for operating said mixer, thatcan be grasped by the user's hand and connected to a pin which protrudesfrom said mixer and which is mechanically connected to the mixingmembers found inside said mixer, wherein said handle is connected tosaid pin through at least one gear, said at least one gear comprising abevel gear pair consisting of a first conical toothing pinion keyedfixed to the pin of said mixer which meshes with a second conicaltoothing pinion having a pivot pin which is connected to the handle andsupported by a bearing element.
 2. The delivery unit according to claim1, wherein said mixer and said at least one gear are applied to abearing flange from which said handle protrudes, said bearing flangebeing arranged for closing a recess made out of a bearing structure andfit to house said built in mixer, said fitting pipes, and said gear. 3.The delivery unit according to claim 1, wherein said handle is connectedto said pin through a shaped connecting rod having a through holecoupling to said pin and to an appendix which is linked to a matchingappendix of said handle through a screw.
 4. The delivery unit accordingto claim 1, wherein said bearing element is connected to said mixer. 5.The delivery unit according to claim 3, wherein said appendix of saidhandle and said appendix of said shaped connecting rod are arrangedpassing through a slit made inside said bearing flange.
 6. The deliveryunit according to claim 2, wherein it comprises a box which is insertedinto said recess and wherein said mixer, said fitting pipes, and saidgear are inserted as well when said bearing flange is arranged forclosing said box.
 7. The delivery unit according to claim 1, whereinsaid fitting pipes are flexible pipes.
 8. The delivery unit according toclaim 2, wherein said bearing flange is applied for closing said recessthrough removable connecting means that comprise screws arranged aspassing through holes made in said flange which are coupled intomatching nut screws associated to said recess.
 9. The delivery unitaccording to claim 6, wherein said bearing flange is applied for closingsaid box through removable connecting means that comprise screwsarranged as passing through holes made in said flange which are coupledinto matching lead screws associated to said box.
 10. The delivery unitaccording to claim 2, wherein said bearing flange is also connected tosaid spout (3).